Automatic firearm.



. PATBNTED SEPT. 19, 1905. A. ODKOLEK VON AUGEZD.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11,1900.

,, PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

A. ODKOLEK VON AUGEZD. AUTOMATIC FIREARM APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11,1900.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ADOLF ODKOLEK VON AUGEZI),

PATENT orr on- OF VIENNA, UsTRIAhUNeARY.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed June 11, 1900. Serial Ito-19,892.

To ail whom) it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLF ODKOLEK VON AUGEZD, asubject of the Emperor of Austria- Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Province of Lower Austria, in the Empire of Austria- Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms for Firing 7 low the guideway it does not'extend'to the and I- do hereby declare Single Shots and Automatic Continuous Fire; the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use, the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form' a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to breech-loading guns, and more particularly'to that type known as gas actuated guns, in which the breech is opened by the pressure of the gases of discharge and the breech mechanism moved into loading and firing position.

Theessential object of this invention lies in -'the simplification of the breech mechanism,

which enables me to strengthen the elements thereof, reduce their number, and thereby increase the efiiciency and durabilityof the gun.

That my said invention'may be fully understood, I will describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are fragmentary longitudinal sectional views of the gun, showing the breech closed and open, respectively. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a vertical section through the breech-casing and cartridge-feeding appliances. Fig. 5 is a like section on line A Bof Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail view; Fig. 7, a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section; Fig. 8, a vertical section of the gun-barrel and gas-tube, showing means for cooling the barrel; and Fig. 9 is a sectional detail view of a modified connection ing, the g'eneral'construction of which isshown in Figs. 4 and 5, itbeing closed at top and having an upper chamber a, which is cylindrical at its forward end and forms a receiver Q. The casing Z) has also a vertical comparatively narrow guideway (Z, opening into said chamber a and enlarged near its upper end into a substantially circular guideway b, in which is guided the actuating-bar g, hereinafter referred to. The guideway (Z be- Fig. 1, but only a sufiicient distance to'per-.

mit the rearward movement of the aforesaid actuating-bar g, and at its said rear end the casing has a shoulder-rest Z2.

-In the upper portion of the passage (1 below the chambera, at a distance from the breech of the gun-barrel B equal or substantially equal to the length of the breech-bolt c, are arranged two abutments e, facing each other and inserted through the vertical walls of the breech-casing b, Fig. 5. The lower part of the breech-casing Z) from the triggerguard y nearly to, the end of the lower por-. tion of the vertical passaged is closed by a slide-plate 7, connected to the vertical walls of saidcasing by tongue-andgroove joint, the plate having at its forward end. a handle z, projecting from its under face, anda lug- 9, projectingfrom its upper face at such a point as to lie in front of a lug 10 at the rear end of the actuating-bar y when in its forward position, Fig. 1. The plate 7 is locked against endwise motion by a two-armed lever 8, fulcrumed in a longitudinal slot in the plate 7, the rear end 8 of said lever abutting against the forward face of the fixed rear portion 6 of the bottom of casing 12, while the forward end of said lever projects from the under side of said plate 7, so that by pressure on said forward end the rear end of said lever is disengaged from its abutment and the to slide rearwardly.

The breech-bolt c is cylindrical and contains the firing-pin l, and at its rear end said breechbolt has on either side a rearwarclly projecting lug c, fitting corresponding recesses i" in opposite sides of a vertical projection t' on the rear end of the actuating-bar g, and at its rear plate is free end'the said breech-boltc has a short longi-' tudinal slot 0 F ig. 2, and at the forward end of said slot a lug .9.

At its rear end the firing-pin Z has a lug m,

projecting into a notchg'on the actuatingbar g in front of its pro ection z. The-breechbolt 0 has also a lug f, which pro ects, into a recess g in the upper face ofthe actuatingbar 9, said recess being of such a length rela-' tively to the length of the lug f as to enable the actuating-bar to move rearwardly or for: wardly independentlyof the breech-bolt c'for .a short distance for purposes hereinafter explain'ed, said actuating-barha'vingatits rear end the lug 10, already referred to, axin a: at

its forward end, and a' lug tonits' upper'face. To the trigger l is pivoted a tumbler 9. held 'rear of the projection 11 ofthe actuating-bar which said pin is secured, so that by depress ing said lever the rear arm of the sear is depressed and held out of the path of the lug w on the forward end of the actuating-bar g.

In the chamber a of the breech-casing Z) in g is arranged the mainspring j, mounted on a tu be c, secured to the rear wall of said breechcasing and containing a bnfler-spring and a bufier 1;, whose movements in either direction are limited by longitudinal slots '0, into which project pins '2) on the bufi'er v.

The breech-bolt c has rectilinear motion in the receiver a, and chamber a, and in view of the location of the abutments e below said chamber a it is necessary that the rear'end of saidbreech-bolt be depressed when in position to close the breech, Fig. 1, and that said rear end he again raised above said abutments before it can be moved rear-wardly. On the other hand, inasmuch as thefiring-pin is connected to and projected andretracted by the actuating-bar g it is necessary that the latter should have motion independently. of said breech-bolt both rearwardly and forwardly.

This is accomplished the construction of the breech-casing wherein the rear end. of the breech-bolt ccan drop in front of the abutments 6 and by-reason of the recesses 01 and lugs c and the length ofthe recess g in actuating-bar g relatively to lug f onthe breechbolt 0, whereby said actuating-bar is enabled to move forward a sufiicient distance after the breech-bolt has closed the breech and dropped in front of the abutments e to thrust the firing-pin Z into contact with and explode the cartridge.

On its rearward motion the actuating-bar V g moves a short distance independently of'the breech-bolt 's'uflicient to retract the firing-pin and at the same time move out of engagement with said breech bolt and lift its rear end through the lugs s t clear of the abutments e,

as hereinafter referred to.

In the right receiver-Wallis formed a longitudinal slot u, Fig. 4. through whichthe emptycartridges are ejected by means of any wellknown or suitable ejector. (Not shown in the drawings.)

In a cylinder I), formed on the breech-ens ing 6, works a piston 0, acting on the forward end of the actuating-bar g when impelled by the gases of discharge. The forward portion of the piston o is of increased diameter and tubular and works on a coupling p, provided described, to move said nected thereto into the position shown in Fig.2, when the sear w will snap in front with an axial bore, to which coupling is secured the gas-tube q. At its outer end the piston 0 has a collar '1', that serves to limit the instroke by contact with the outer end of cylinder 6 while the outstroke of said.

piston under the stress of the spring 12 coiled thereon is limited by the enlarged portion of the aforesaid coupling 19, as shown'in Fig. 1.

'If desired and as shown in Fig.- 9, the coupling p can be dispensed with,in which case the piston is solid and the gas-tube abuts directly on its outer face, and toinsure proper action of the gases of discharge the piston has in its outer facea concave recessin register with the correspondingly outwardly flaring outlet end of the passage. in gas-tube q. This gas-tube (1- extendsalong the gunbarrel B a suitable distance, and its outerend is in communication with thebore of said barrel in a well-known manner.

In the gun described the cartridges are secured to a belt 11, the free end of which passes through a vertical slot 12 in a belt-guide 13, arranged on the left-hand side of the gun at the feed-slot a for the receiver a, the cartridges being fed through said slot and held in the path of the breech-bolt 0 by a pull on the free end of the belt below the belt-guide 13, the cartridge so held being/detached from its belt and carried out of-the receiver into the breech by the forward movement of the breech-bolt 0' in a well-known manner.

At a suitable dista'nce'iorward of the breech the barrel B has a radial passage -14 and an internally-screw-thread (1 coupling branch whose axis is eccentric to said radial passage.

To the coupling is screwed the nipple 16 of an elastic bulb 17, filled with a cooling fluid, the bore of the nipple being likewise eccentric to its axis of rotation and so located rela-- tively to the radial passage 14 in the gun-barrel that when said nipple 16 is turned by means of the handle thereon to a, certain extent the said passage 14; iand'bore of the nipple will be in register, Fig. 8, so that cooling fluid can be injected into the-gun-barrel by compression of the bulb 17 and, as will be readily seen, by a slight turn of the nipple 16 the bore thereof will be moved outof register with passage" 14, thereby cutting ofi the communicationbetween the bore of barrel B and the bulb 17. Obviously instead of the bulb 17 a pump can be employed.

The operation of the gun is as follows: Assumingthat the elements of the breech mechanism are in their respective positions, Fig. 1that is to say, in their normal position-the actuating-bar g is now retracted by means of the slide-plate 7 as hereinabove of lug a: and hold the bar against forward movement. :The slide-plate is now moved back into its normal position, and by a pull on bar and parts con-V "firing-pin Z, and

.I accomplish by the notch g drops in front of the abutment The actuat' ing-bar now completesits forward movement, thrusting the firing-pin into contact with the cartridge to explode the same, at

which time the lugs c at the rear end of the breech-bolt c are in full engagement with the recesses i on the projection at the rear end of said actuating-bar the parts being again in their respective positions shown in Fig. 1, the rear end of the breech-bolt lugf' abutting against the rear vertical wall of therecess g in the actuating-bar It will be observed that the breech-bolt, the actuating-bar gv are at no time disconnected; but in order to permit the rear end of the breech-bolt to drop in front of the abutments e the firing-pin and projection z' must be articulated together, and this in front of prorear end of said suflicient depth jection tend the lug m at the firing-pin, said notch-being of to allow the required up-and-down move ments of the rear end of the breech-bolt. It 'will therefore be seen that the action of the articulated actuating-bar and firing-pin is the same as if said parts were rigidly connected.- As the firing-pin is thrown forward the gun is discharged, and as soon as the projectile .clears the gas-port leading tothe gas-tube g the gases of discharge throw the piston 0 rearward ly-and therethrough the actuatingbar g, the latter first moving independently of the breech-boltc a sufficient distance not only to retract the firing-pin, but to move the lug t on said bar 9 under the lug a on the breechbolt 0, thereby lifting the rear'end thereof clear of the abutments a, so as to enable said breech-bolt to move back with said lockingbolt underthe blow of the piston o, the parts having returned to their positions shown in Fig. 2. During the rearward movement of the breech-bolt and actuating-bar the cartridge-shell is ejected, and a pull on-the cartridge-belt 11 will bring a freshcartridge G into the receiver and path of the breech-bolt, the gunbeing ready .for firing.

As is well known, the pressure'of the gases of discharge, although acting on the piston momentarily only, the power requiredto move the actuatingbar and breech-bolt" back against. the stress of the main and buffer springs, and to avoid injury to these and to the breech mechanism 1 provide the means hereinabove described limiting the instroke of said piston, so that 'tsj'acti'on on the actuating-bar will be but a as will readily be understood, the

is enormously greaterthan momentary one much shorter than the period of action of the gases of discharge on the piston itself. It will furthermore be observed that at the time of discharge the ln-eech-bolt is not only locked to the breech by the abutments but is furthermore held against rearward or recoil movement by the mainspring j acting on the actuatingbar, whose projection i is then, as above stated, locked to said breech-bolt.

If the gun is to operate automatically, the sear w is moved out of the path of lug ,rIon the actuating-bar g by means of the lever5, Fig. 6, as above described, so that said bar will be thrown forward immediately after reaching the limit of its backward movement under the pressure .of the gases of discharge, a cartridge being of course moved into the path of the breechbolt at each backward throw thereof and ejection of the empty car tridge-shell from the breech and receiver.

It has beenstated that the breech-casing is completely closed, so that means to place'the gun in operative condition are necessary-- namely, means for moving the actuating-bar y from its normal position, Fig. 1, into the position shown in Fig. 2. This is effected through the plate 7, hereinbefore described, as it is obvious that; if the-parts are in their respective positions shown in Fig. 1 and the plate 7 is released by pressure on lever 8 said plate can be retracted by means of the handle .2, the lug 9 on said plate bearing on lug IOat the rear end of the actuating-bar 1, carrying said bar along and therethrough the breechbolt 0, and as soon as the sear 'w snaps in front of the lug a; the plate 7can be moved back to its normal position.

The construction shown in Fig. 9 has the advantage of relieving the piston o of, practically all gas-pressure the moment said piston recedes from the end of the gas-tube gases then escaping into the atmosphere. Finally it may be stated that by concentricallyarranging the main and buffer springs f and inclosing the latter in a tube extending through a considerable portion of the length of said mainspringqneither of these springs is liable to lateral deflection or buckling, thereby increasing the life of both springs and insuring the smooth operation of the breech mechanism.-

'Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the breech-casing and receiver and a breech-bolt loosely contai'ned therein, a fixed support at the forward end of the receiver onto and off which supportthe forward end of the bolt is free to move and whenon said support to freely swing up and down, and an abutment at the rear end of the receiver having its upper face in line with the like face of said fixed support to lock the bolt to the breech and to support port said rear end during the rearward movement of the bar and bolt.

2. T he combination with the breech-casing and receiver, a cylindrical breech-boltloosely contained therein and provided with a depending lug, a fixed support at the forward end of the receiver onto andofl which the breechbolt is free to move and swing up and down when on said support, and an abutment, at

the rear end of the receiver having its upper face in line with the like face of the aforesaid support to lock the breech-bolt to the breech and to support the same during its rearward movement; of an actuating-bar having to-andfro motion below the breech-bolt and provided with a recess into which projects the aforesaid depending lug on the breech-bolt, and means to lift the rear end of the latter clear of the aforesaid abutment and to support said rear end during the rearward movement of the bar and bolt.

3. The combination with the breech-casing and receiver, a breech-bolt loosely contained therein and having a depending lug, a firingpin loosely contained in said bolt and having a depending lug at its rear end, a fixed support at the forward. end of the receiver onto and off which support the bolt is free to move and to swing up and down when on said sup.- port, and an abutment at the rear end of the receiver having its upper face in line with the like face of the aforesaid fixed support, to lock the bolt to. the breech and to support the same during its rearward movement; of an actuating-bar having to-and-fro motion below the breech-bolt and provided with a recess into which the aforesaid lug on the breechbolt projects, said recess of greaterlength Y than said lug and provided also with a recessed portion of such depth for the depending lug on the firing-pin as to admit of the free upand-down movement of the bolt and firing-pin without breaking the connection between said pin and bar, and means to lift the rear end of the breech-bolt clear of its abutment and to support said end during the rearward movement of the bar and bolt. r

4. In a breech-loading firearm, the combination with the receiver, the breech-bolt adapted to tilt or swing in a vertical plane and provided with a cam or lugs on its under face and with shoulders c at its rear end, fixed independently of the bolt, said bar provided with a cam or lug t coacting with the aforesaid lug .s' as described, and with a vertical pro ection having recesses a in its front face for the aforesaid shoulders 0' on the breechbolt, a mainspring in alinement with the receiver, acting on the rear face of the aforesaid vertical projection on the actuating-bar, means to move the latter rearwardly against the stress of the spring, and trigger-operated mechanism adapted to lock said bar against forward motion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with the actuating-bar g, and mechanism operated thereby, said barw provided with a depending lu'g 10 at its rear end and an under-face projection :20 at its forward end, the mainspring acting on said bar,

and a trigger-operated sear adapted to engage the projection :11 when the bar is moved into its rearward position; of a slide-plate provided with a handle and a vertical projection 9 coacting with the depending lug 10 on bar g to move the latter rearwardly against the stress of the mainspring when the plate is pulled back and means to lock said plate against rearward movement, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the breech-casing and breech mechanism; of an actuating-bar contained wholly within said casing and provided with a depending lug at either end, a mainspring acting on ,the rear end of the bar to throw the same forward, a slide provided with a handle and with a vertical lug adapted to engage the depending lug at the rear end of the bar and move. the same rearwardly' against the stress of the mainspring by the rearward movement of the slide, a hand-operated locking-lever adapted to lock the slide against rearward motion, and a trigger-operated sear adapted to engage the depending lug at the forward end of the bar when the latter has been moved rearwardly, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADOLF 011K013]; VON AUGEZD;

Witnesses:

FRANK DYER CHESTER,

LOUIS VANDoRG. 

